CATHY ARONSON continues our series on walks for strollers of all ages ...
Waikato's Hakarimata Ranges Kauri Walk would not exist but for the efforts of three elderly men.
A Department of Conservation sign at the start informs the tens of thousands who visit each year that the "Northern Hakarimata Walkway Committee was instrumental in construction," but locals and many tourists know who is meant.
For 50 years, Darrell Carey, Brian Smith and Phil Langsford trekked, crawled and slid through the northwestern corner of the rugged 1800ha Hakarimata Ranges.
But the 300m climb to the top was worth it for the panoramic views spanning Mt Te Aroha, the Kaimai Ranges, the Coromandel hills, the Hunuas, Waikato lakes and Port Waikato.
The ranges are clothed in kauri, rimu and nikau and have two 800-year-old kauri trees.
At the end of 1999, the "committee" opened a 300m metal track to the upper lookout, past the two old 30m kauris and the Kauri Grove and looping back down to the new car park.
The two kauri are the only survivors of extensive logging around the 1900s.
The idea of a walkway took shape five years ago when the three men decided that the "kneebreaker" trek should become a proper tourist walk to encourage families and the less able and protect the roots of kauri from the heavy boots of trampers.
So the retired men, with walking sticks in hand, began to physically map the best path to the summit.
"It was so dense it was hard not to get lost," said Mr Smith. "We would have to shake the trees to let each other know where we were."
But although three heads are better than one, they also had conflicting ideas on the easiest and most scenic track.
"We argued like old men, and often the final track was the sixth attempt," said Mr Smith. "Mostly Darrell got his own way - he's quite bloody minded."
In fact, the men even have an unmarked spot called "Darrell's Corner," where you can see the remains of a track which Mr Carey changed at the last minute to make it easier.
Walking with Mr Carey and Mr Smith on a hot summer day, you learn about many other corners not marked for the tourists.
Like Marijuana Corner, where the track ploughed straight over a rather healthy plot.
"Some people didn't like the new track and the extra people around, the marijuana boys," said Mr Carey.
The two men point out that only half an hour into the walk, the view and noise of State Highway 1 have disappeared and "you have now entered the world of the Hakarimata Ranges."
But they also point out the mysterious silence. Native birds are non-existent. Only tui survive at the beginning of the track, where DoC has planted flax trees.
All you can hear in the silence is the sound of a wild goat; all you can see is the tell-tale tracks of possums. But not for much longer if the three have their way - they already have a $76,000 grant for possum control from Perry Group, which runs the neighbouring quarry.
Their next project is to continue the walk across the ranges to join up with Ngaruawahia.
"But we would want the Ngaruawahia community to take ownership of that," said Mr Carey. "We've done our bit, we're past our use-by date. But we know all the tricks now to get them started."
The men made the track in four stages, slowly drumming up community support and sponsorship and convincing DoC of its merits.
They ended up raising $500,000 from the Waikato District Council, the Lottery Grants Board, Environment Waikato, Waikato Community Trust and DoC.
Factfile:
How to get there: South of Huntly turn off State Highway One on to the Tainui Bridge Rd, turn left on to Riverview Rd and right on to Parker Rd.
Degree of fitness: All fitness levels.
Walking time: 1 hr 20 min return to Kauri Grove and back or 2 hrs for full 3km loop track.
What to wear: Good walking shoes and clothes to suit weather. Take a water bottle.
Special features: 600-year-old kauri tree.
Restrictions/rules: No dogs, no camping, no fires.
<i>Summer walks:</i> Trailblazers opened up a hidden world
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